Anyone else getting irritated with Taj?

[Blaize4488]

He is much improved on offense but he is becoming a black hole. He just throws up some wild shots when there are guys he can pass to. Also complains at times and allows his man to beat him down the court for easy basket. Just really needs to learn to pass the ball back out when the play is dead. Also haven't seen his high effort defense we desperately need on the 2nd unit.

[musiqsoulchild]

Thats his designated role.

Cant be mad with the hangman. Its just a job; even if it means offing people.

[musiqsoulchild]

I also think this is Thibs overall strategy to keep one of Love/Varejao constantly pinned on low post defense.

This kills any forward momentum Cavs may gain to execute their fast break game.

[MrSparkle]

Not really irritated with him. His tenacity under the glass is amaZing.

His game is ugly (besides for the NBA Jam slams), but he's a + on the court.

I think he and Mirotic are gonna develop nice chemistry further into the season.

[kodo]

He's not "becoming," he didn't pass all last season.

But I see it more as a cup half full scenario. Taj can at least score, even if he can't pass.

[HINrichPolice]

I'll be irritated if he continues his black hole style post game through the regular season. For now, I'm going to believe that he's using pre-season to gauge how much success that the moves he worked on over the summer can garner.

[RedBulls23]

Not trying to derail the thread, but I have a serious question.

Is Taj really going to become the new Bulls board whipping boy? I wonder if other teams fans do that as well or is it just this board that has to have one guy to crap on for the entire year?

[GetBuLLish]

He was by far our best player in the postseason last year.

And thus far this preseason, he has been our best big man.

This irrational Taj criticism is what's irritating.

[The Force.]

I could have sworn there was a play where he got the ball early in the shot clock in the paint. Thibs yelled out "go to work!" and he started backing down Varejao (or maybe it was Love).

So it seems Thibs views Taj as our main offensive threat with the second unit and expects him to be aggressive on that end. Not to mention, I can see Thibs preferring Taj's post attempt (closer to the rim) over a missed jumper that can lead to easier transition opportunities for the other team.

With that said, when he's clearly outmatched by a bigger defender, he needs to chill the **** out and pass the ball.

[kingkirk]

After the 1st preseason game, I made a comment about how this board would quickly turn on Gibson, for several reasons.

1. He is an easy target given he is a bench player who is being paid 8m
2. The overzealous nature of this board and it’s thirst for a SG, and with our front court being ‘overcrowded’
3. He is a ‘black hole’, despite being our best offensive option in the second unit
4. He is the obvious guy on the team that would be moved for a decent piece, namely a wing
5. Noah is as close to untouchable as you can get, Gasol is the new prized signing and Mirotic is the future

It wasn’t a bold prediction by any means, and I’m not here to toot my own horn, as it should have been obvious to most that he was next in line to be the ‘new Deng’.

I find it absurd, especially with he provided last season and how good he has been so far in preseason, but if this is what a faction of the board deems noteworthy, well...

[musiqsoulchild]

I could have sworn there was a play where he got the ball early in the shot clock in the paint. Thibs yelled out "go to work!" and he started backing down Varejao (or maybe it was Love).

So it seems Thibs views Taj as our main offensive threat with the second unit and expects him to be aggressive on that end. Not to mention, I can see Thibs preferring Taj's post attempt (closer to the rim) over a missed jumper that can lead to easier transition opportunities for the other team.

With that said, when he's clearly outmatched by a bigger defender, he needs to chill the **** out and pass the ball.

I absolutely am certain that we will see this all season as preparation for the playoffs. And for Cleveland.

[kulaz3000]

As consistent as the starting crew may have been for several years, the one consistent with the bench is the turn around of players that Taj has had to deal with season after season, and that's something that shouldn't be looked over.

At the end of the season he is still going to be clearly our best bench player, I have no doubts about that, it's just a matter of him getting comfortable with his new players that he'll be playing with on the bench and once he does it will make things look better for him.

And also, though it irritates me a little to see Gibson's constantly complaining, there are plenty of games where he gets fouled quite a lot and doesn't get the call and I feel his pain. But then again, that's the nature of the beast when you predominately play in the paint, you're going to get hacked at times and they aren't going to call it, still, at times he has to play through it and just suck it up.

[musiqsoulchild]

After the 1st preseason game, I made a comment about how this board would quickly turn on Gibson, for several reasons.

1. He is an easy target given he is a bench player who is being paid 8m
2. The overzealous nature of this board and it’s thirst for a SG, and with our front court being ‘overcrowded’
3. He is a ‘black hole’, despite being our best offensive option in the second unit
4. He is the obvious guy on the team that would be moved for a decent piece, namely a wing
5. Noah is as close to untouchable as you can get, Gasol is the new prized signing and Mirotic is the future

It wasn’t a bold prediction by any means, and I’m not here to toot my own horn, as it should have been obvious to most that he was next in line to be the ‘new Deng’.

I find it absurd, especially with he provided last season and how good he has been so far in preseason, but if this is what a faction of the board deems noteworthy, well...

Fear not.

As long as Kirk is here, everyones masochistic tendencies will find a punching bag.

Taj is safe for at least another year.

[The Force.]

After the 1st preseason game, I made a comment about how this board would quickly turn on Gibson, for several reasons.

1. He is an easy target given he is a bench player who is being paid 8m
2. The overzealous nature of this board and it’s thirst for a SG, and with our front court being ‘overcrowded’
3. He is a ‘black hole’, despite being our best offensive option in the second unit
4. He is the obvious guy on the team that would be moved for a decent piece, namely a wing
5. Noah is as close to untouchable as you can get, Gasol is the new prized signing and Mirotic is the future

It wasn’t a bold prediction by any means, and I’m not here to toot my own horn, as it should have been obvious to most that he was next in line to be the ‘new Deng’.

I find it absurd, especially with he provided last season and how good he has been so far in preseason, but if this is what a faction of the board deems noteworthy, well...

Fear not.

As long as Kirk is here, everyones masochistic tendencies will find a punching bag.

Taj is safe for at least another year.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure people hate Kirk way more than Taj. But Snell is certainly making a strong case for himself.

[Indomitable]

He is much improved on offense but he is becoming a black hole. He just throws up some wild shots when there are guys he can pass to. Also complains at times and allows his man to beat him down the court for easy basket. Just really needs to learn to pass the ball back out when the play is dead. Also haven't seen his high effort defense we desperately need on the 2nd unit.

No,but I am sick of the complaining about him.

[Tenchi Ryu]

Is Taj really going to become the new Bulls board whipping boy? I wonder if other teams fans do that as well or is it just this board that has to have one guy to crap on for the entire year?

No that's brook and snell.

I do know Miami heat fans can't stand Chalmers like any other rational person.

[matt3254]

Taj will be fine in the post whether he learns to pass or not. Unless he is doubled teamed, he usually gets very good looks under the rim. It may not look the best, his pivoting and spins, but most of the time, they work and he gets a clean shot off. Right now he just isn't finishing well. I personally love when we throw Taj the ball in the post, I just hate when we do it every play as we have before. He will get double teamed a lot though depending on who the other big is out there with him. He may learn to pass though, I noticed him pass it back out when he was going against Byombo the other night.

[BullBearBidness]

He was by far our best player in the postseason last year.

And thus far this preseason, he has been our best big man.

This irrational Taj criticism is what's irritating.

This

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[Indomitable]

Not trying to derail the thread, but I have a serious question.

Is Taj really going to become the new Bulls board whipping boy? I wonder if other teams fans do that as well or is it just this board that has to have one guy to crap on for the entire year?

These threads are silly.

[Jared_Farver]

Nah.